Within the depths of the Spiral, one who is destined to emerge as the "heroine" of the Kyuubi Incident continues to fulfill her role as an Avatar of Hope.
A golden shine amongst waves of infinite darkness, that golden force is a flame born from the wills of deceased comrades and a sight that should one day brand her as the "Golden Witch," a hero who returned the awakening God of Destruction to it's tomb within the planet.
Yes.
While she stands alone amongst endless flame and mud, there are so many 'voices' within her that she can barely hear the roar of the monster as it attacks; even so her body moves with strength it should not have to avoid the crashing limbs that topple buildings in their wake. While evacuations had started before the 'God' had reached landfall, there is no doubt in her mind that the casualties were staggering, and the girl that was famed for her resolute spirit and 'never give up' attitude is shaking inside as she fights something that cannot be defeated, kept standing only by the spirits of friends she had not had time to grieve.
There would be time later, they said.
You must finish things now.
Even so, it is not that simple. The monster's presence corrodes her mind simply by existing at all, it poisons her with fear, draws out her doubts and insecurities, the weight that comes with knowing one bears the fate and regrets of so many people, and waits for her to choke on those curses and make a mistake. It is a sneering and sadistic God, a twisted form of "Humanity" that devours anything it comes across, that gives one the impression that they're looking in the mirror, and that the 'you' that you found there has come to drag you to the hell you know you deserve.
---Thankfully, it's attacks hold little more than power.
While nothing will survive being hit head on, the mass of souls is slow and chaotic; the attacks are telegraphed quite handily, and with so much 'will' backing her it is possible for her to avoid them. However, she cannot protect anyone else like this; attacks against it's body are useless, it feeds off of negativity, and it's rampage easily heals whatever wounds she could inflict now that she's alone and beginning to reach the limits of her strength, however...
"This isn't good... I gotta... Put an end to it soon...."
There is one weak point.
Just one.
The host, the Summoner, the one who was unfortunate enough to call it out of it's cage.
That person too, has a role.
When the destined opening appears, Liane Cross fires a shot made with all of her strength at that friend cloaked in darkness she could not cast off. It is a bullet of light that carries the feelings of all those that had died that day, an unrelenting force that is meant to 'awaken' their friend from her nightmare; there is no hope it will kill, rather, they hope to awaken the heart of the host, and believe in that heart's ability to throw off the darkness itself with a second chance.
"Hakkero!"
As the role of Liane Cross is to fire that bullet, the role of that girl called "Kusumi" is to reawaken and end her own life. It is not the desired outcome for those involved, but the victim realizes her situation in a moment of lucidity and destroys herself, weakening the beast enough that it can then be forced to return to it's slumber.
In that way, the Kyuubi Incident comes to an extra bittersweet end; those children that had wanted to save the world end up doing so, losing much in the process, but creating a future for everyone to live in, however...
"Hah...Hah..."
This time, the fading light does not reveal the face of a newly awakened friend at the heart of a screaming monster.
No.
Strangely, this time...
All she sees is the monster.
"It... Didn't go through...?"
---This isn't right.
None of this is right. Perhaps it's because her soul remembers the 'road' that is normally followed, or perhaps it's because she simply understands something important was just lost, the girl that still had enough power to move away upon realizing her last resort strike has failed, pauses for a moment too long to shake off the "confusion" the God had been strong enough to instill in her.
---Something was missing, this shouldn't happen, something should have happened with that strike.
But something was missing, the 'possibility' that this fight could be won at all had already been denied hours ago.
For some reason her feelings had been unable to reach her friend, and as a result.
She loses.
---But it's slow.
It's only a moment of confusion, but darkness swallows up her feet. To say it hurt would be a lie, but the mere touch of that mud is enough to cause her consciousness to flicker on and off from the sheer sensation of her feet simply ceasing to exist within its grasp.
This mud eats humans.
It is humans, so of course it could absorb them. She had been touched by it a number of times already, but this is the first time it's gotten a solid grip, and with her power flickering from the aftermath of her last desperate strike, the unprepared soul is caught in a grip it should not able to break.
Even so-
"No-!"
Fear, desperation, determination...
Driven by all three, she wrenches herself from the darkness to attack once more, because it can't end here, she can't let it end here.
It can't win.
"I won't let you-!"
If it does, that would mean she broke her promise.
She had swore to put an end to things, so-!
Answering her wish, both friends and weapon give birth to power they should not have; a hero is able to defy fate, while her consciousness has almost been ripped from her form, her desire to "keep her word" makes it possible for her to win anyway. Of course, there is a decision she has to make to do so; if she forgoes putting the last of her strength into saving herself from the mud, then she should be able to attack the beast one more time. It’s regeneration is absurd, but not so strong that it can completely shield its host a second time from the collective powers of thousands of souls.
Still...
---Her body and soul screams to get away.
To be eaten by this thing is to suffer an impossible fate.
For humans it is hell, a real hell, not of fire and brimstone, but of curses and mud. Her top priority as someone with a survival instinct should be to get away from it, to get away from it regardless of what she has to do to accomplish it, yet-
She raises the gun once more anyway.
---It's not just her promise, too many people she cares about will die if gets past her, too many people have already died for her to allow herself to let it win.
If it wins, what was all of it for?
What was all that sacrifice for?!
Defying her own survival instincts, doing her best to rationalize it in spite of the screaming panic of something grasping at her soul, Aoyama's last hope-
Through the haze that had become her senses, it is impossible for her to even make out that face. The feeling of blood running down her body is a warmth that contrasts the sudden chill arising from within, and the enemy robs her of whatever power she has left before kicking her into the mud; arms shooting out to stop that fall halt it before beginning to melt away themselves.
-Is run right through from behind the moment before she pulls the trigger, an unexpected enemy wrapping up a 'loose end.'
She only catches a glimpse before everything begins to fall away.
It can't be ignored anymore, no matter how strong the will or wills, this mud will eat you alive eventually.
It's silly to think otherwise.
Humanity always wins. Every time, without fail.
It wins.
That's why this shouldn't be surprising, of course no one can defeat that monster.
---The shadow creeps up.
Light flares as a trigger is pulled once more, and a monster roars as a crashing defiance accompanies one's descent into madness.
Along with the moonlight, the Golden Witch is swallowed up by that pitch-black curse; the more of herself that disappears the harder she fights, it is a reality of those called “heroes” that they are harder to digest than most.
But no one fights forever, and her friends and family are here already.
Why so desperately try to escape? Everyone is here, so it is fine to fall into that pitch black embrace; even if you suffer forever at least you won’t be alone.
Isn’t that right?
Deep inside, just like the others.
What exists is nothing more than the 'truth.'
Eventually, they stop thinking.
---
--Prologue//Departure--
“A Time Before”
---It stood on the horizon.
A monster bathed in the light of a setting sun.
The figure of that which could only appear at the end of days.
A mark of their failure.
Denial moves to protect the mind.
It can’t be true.
They won’t allow it to be true.
I can’t allow it to be true-!
Promises to keep, people to protect.
Sacrifices to honor.
Every reason in the world to live,
But it doesn’t matter.
It’s meaningless if you don’t win?
What was it all for if you don’t win?
It was for nothing silly, you just couldn’t accept it.
But there’s no other choice now.
Yes.
That’s right.
Admit it.
Say it.
Understand it.
It was all worthless, right from the start.
---By the time I realized it, I...
Was already being eaten.
-Ryota Yagami, Memories of the Original Abyss
---
Division Zero
Artificial Island "Izanagi" - Morning
18 hours before the tragedy
Demon.
There had been an absurd amount of incidents involving them over the past couple of weeks, and as a result, the activities of Squad Zero were the most hectic they had been in six years. Different from youkai whose existences were at least 'natural,' those ascendant entities should not exist within the world at all, and even amongst the secret societies their existence was kept on a strictly need to know basis. Surpassing all limits of common sense, crystallizations of "concepts" that seemed to just gleefully tear apart reality at their own whims, it took something far stronger than your average exorcist to deal with one, and thus...
COMP Users were born; wielding artifacts descended from a "certain computer," the match-up seemed to be almost preordained by the heavens. COMPs reacted strangely to the presence of demon-kind, almost excitedly, like a tool that's eager to do the job it was created to do, yes... The ability to slay Gods certainly lay deep within the confines of those weapons, even if the secrets to drawing out their "full power" remained beyond the grasp of even the most talented of spiritual minds.
Still...
While it is a line often quoted in meetings between those in the know, there is a certain sense of 'absurdity' that comes with being sent out specifically to exorcise an entity specifically calling itself Zeus. While it remained a "Hollow God," one that had lost much of it's power in this world that denied their existence, it was still the most intense battle the group had faced as a whole, but having faced it as a whole, well...
That was that, Squad Zero was not known for losing fights.
---Well, it wasn't that simple either. While a number of you had been able to immediately return home after the battle, half of the group had had to stay behind in accordance to procedure to ensure there was no "Recurrence Event." If the leylines and atmosphere remained clear of foreign entities over the course of the next 48 hours, they too would be able to return home to file that ever present paperwork over the incident.
The other half, all of you...
Were using up what little free time had been gained in this brief break between missions. New orders had come in shortly after landing back at base, so there was no real time to take a few days off. As those who fight things that are kept secret even from most other SDCD members, your lodgings and base of operations were slightly different as well, kept away from the public eye.
An artificial island, code-named "Izanagi." Bearing what amounted to am apartment complex, research lab, and an airstrip, it was the home afforded to you by your work. Not everyone present were members of Squad Zero, some existed as pilots, cooks and mechanics, but....
This time around, it seemed Captain Yuzuhira was helping out with flight preparations herself.
No one had seen her work on any machinery before, but lo and behold, the moment orders had come in she had flaunted the talent of a "Universal Genius" once more, more or less kidnapping Sachiko to help her, and...
----
Faust
Izanagi ~ Apartment Complex
It was a request from the Captain rather than an order, and a strange one at that.
"Could you go wake up the new recruit? Upper management doesn't like America showing us up, so we've been authorized -well, ordered really- to take her with us... I can leave her training to you, right? Just push the red button, she'll wake up."
Right after receiving the new orders to scramble, she had tossed that task into your lap without a second regard for it. Of course you don't mind, the mentor role is one you are somewhat used to performing, and the Captain wouldn't have made the request that you do it personally if she didn't have a reason for it, but...
A new recruit? Applicants are normally tested for weeks and evaluated by current members from afar, so it's a somewhat surprising occurrence for you as a senior member...
It seemed to have surprised the captain as well, so it's difficult to be directly offended about being left out of the loop; but something bothers you about the way the request was phrased, namely...
Push the red button?
A little strange, to be sure. Perhaps some sort of new alarm?
Knowing the rooms of the others by heart, the existence of a new name "Evette," stands out as the only possible divergence.
The door is unlocked; there is no answer after knocking twice, and so you enter in order to fulfill the task you were entrusted with, but...
What's inside is not a human sleeping in a bed, rather, the figure of a girl is sitting silently amongst a bunch of foreign equipment.
"..."
A number of things immediately draw your attention; the monitors behind the girl's chair are showing lines akin to that of a steady heart monitor, there are a number of wires sticking out the back of her arms and neck, with a glowing red button labeled "Activation" resting under her motionless palm, and...
In spite of the motions of the 'heart monitor,' there is no rise and fall of a chest that would indicate breathing...
---Panic doesn't truly set in, but...
What exactly had the Captain gotten you into with this?
A button press later, and:
"Zero Division DNA confirmed. Preferred Administrator handle?"
A strange mechanical voice echoes out from the speakers, asking a rather bizarre question...
---
Dirac
Izanagi - Airstrip
While you had never managed to directly confirm it, but you were pretty sure Eishun had been assigned to "look after you" right from the start of your rather detestable employment here with these losers.
Naturally, he was probably the biggest loser of them all. Someone who seemingly wasn't able to understand subtleties, he was the candy obsessed guardian who also didn't seem smart enough (or serious enough perhaps) to truly care when you went off on one of your insult tangents, in other words...
Insults just bounce off fools.
He was like a babbling mannequin that someone had left here to annoy you, and that simply didn't know how to shut up. Even now while you were waiting for the absurd captain to finish being her show-offy self in the garage with the ratchets, he was going on and on about the majesty of the ocean and how he was going to catch it's guardian as he sat near the edge with fishing pole in hand. To be frank you had moved over here in an attempt to be away from the others, and yet he had specifically chosen to follow you over here anyway, so...
Yeah.
One of those days.
Again.
Fool hadn't even caught anything yet.
Of course he had also mostly just been talking 'around you' rather than at you, so it was easy to treat him kinda like the mannequin he was, until...
"Still, we only get about four hours of free time? You had breakfast yet? Won't get taller if you don't eat."
Holding the pole with one hand, he moves to pass you a box with the other.
Chocolate donuts with candy sprinkles.
For this man, that sort of poor lifestyle choice was basically completely natural; he burned so much energy fighting that he had claimed more than once that it "basically didn't matter what he ate," yet...!
Was he trying to big brother you again?!
---
Magatsu Kaori
Mainland ~ Shopping Mall "LOVELESS"
"Evil! Evillllll!"
The complaints of a fairy that only two people can see accompany the steps that carry you into the entrance-way of a Shopping Mall, slightly more soaked in water than what you had expected to be today.
"Ahahaha, sorry, sorry. I really didn't mean for that to happen, but none of the boats would have been ready in time! I mean, at least it was kinda fun, right~?"
While the technical culprit of the situation -Haru- apologizes in a bashful sort of way. To her, riding that monster bike of hers was not an event that was particularly traumatic, but by that same token, using said monster motorcycle as a "makeshift boat" to sneak away from the island during the technical 'free time' between missions, was...
For the fairy, somewhat traumatic.
It had started about a week ago, when Haru had noticed you browsing shopping sites on the phone, looking for replacement clothes for the ones that inevitably got torn during the course of assignments. It was easy to get those sorts of things shipped back to the island if you put in a request, but she seemed to think that wasn't "any fun at all!" and had told you she would take you shopping with her the next chance she got, and to be fair...
This was the next chance she had gotten, but she had had to jump through quite a few hoops to make it happen since you only had around for hours to work with, and as far as Mirai was concerned, those hoops had left plenty of things to complain about-!
Was it the splash of water that had hit everyone at the end after ten minutes of a perfectly dry trip? Being at the epicenter of a sonic boom near the start? The somewhat shaky ride that had forced you both to cling to various parts of her body (waist and hair respectively) in order to avoid slipping off? The fact that a motorcycle is truly not meant to function as a boat and was perhaps an objectively crazy idea that could only be born from a mage's common sense? All of the above?
...Objectively speaking, there were certainly things to complain about.
Objectively speaking there were also good things that normally would not happen too, and so far all of this had been done for the sake of getting you here, so-!
While the fairy is being her usual snarky self, it's hard for either of them to really guess your reaction right away.
"She's a crazy speed demon! All of this so she can dress you in clothes, she might have a pervert's heart too! It's always the chivalrous ones that are secretly shady, big-sister types are dangerous, be careful-!"
"Eh? Pervert? Dangerous? I'm buying myself stuff too-!"
Snark vs snark, then:
"...Although my muscles are getting a little too big to be cute in most things. Not as much fun to dress me up. Jeans and t-shirts are safe on me, I like safe."
-A sudden moment of self-consciousness?!
---
Tennouji Kyoko
Apartment Complex Lobby - Izanagi
Four hours wasn't much free time at all, and so you didn't mind responding to Hiro's request for you to leave your room and come downstairs. As far as training partners went he was probably the one that suited you the best, neither had to worry about accidentally hurting the other in any critical way outside of simulations, and so he was one of those rare few that could take your "full technique" in such a way that you are constantly forced to push it to accomplish anything, in other words...
The two of you were moving goalposts that kept pushing the other one forward, of course it was slightly odd that he would seemingly want to train right after a long plane ride; he was more the type to polish up his guns and take a power-nap, but...
"Ah, you got my message."
...It all makes sense when you see him, although in some ways, it also makes you feel a sudden instinctual pain towards his bank account, which must of just taken a substantial hit, namely...
"They came in while we were away, so I thought I'd set them up in the lobby and settle the score before we went out again."
-He had bought not just one BlazRed cabinet, no, it seems he had splurged so hard that he had gotten all four games in the series sitting in the corner in cabinet form, as if in the first stage of building an entire arcade inside of the base itself, which wouldn't be hard considering the "apartment complex" was more like a "five-star hotel."
Well, if Hiro spent it he probably had it (unlike a certain someone) but for you in particular...
This sort of development is dangerous...
"Current score is 199-200. I'm ready to even it up."
It's the sort of thing that would destroy your outdoor spirit over holidays-!
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Originally Posted by Hiro
